Since the first Carmarthen fair in May 1993, Towy Antiques Fairs have dominated the antiques scene in South and West Wales. The Carmarthen Antiques & Collectors’ Fair is one of Wales’ favourite antiques events where, four times each year, the exhibition hall on the United Counties Showground, accommodating up to 180 stands, is filled to capacity with an amazing selection of genuine antiques and collectors’ items. These popular fairs are a showcase for friendly, knowledgeable dealers from all over England and Wales whose tempting displays appeal to serious collectors and antiques enthusiasts alike. Quality is the hallmark of Towy Fairs and visitors will find this in quantity with antiques to suit all tastes and all pockets! Furniture is a very strong element of the Carmarthen fairs and there is always an excellent selection of fine of early Welsh oak and country pieces, as well as more formal Georgian and Victorian mahogany furniture. For original ideas on budget, stripped pine and early 20th century furnishing items can add style without breaking the bank. Water-colour and oil paintings are always popular here with specialist dealers often saving items of specifically Welsh interest (and Welsh artists) just for the fair. Collectors will find some of the best pottery and porcelain in Wales at the Carmarthen fair. Examples spanning three centuries will be found from late 18th century pottery, through the vast range of products from the 19th century, to the quirky collectors’ pieces of the early and mid- 20th century. Plenty of big names in the collectors’ field such as Royal Doulton, Royal Worcester, Derby, Sunderland lustre, Gaudy Welsh, copper lustre, Staffordshire figures, Beswick, and Clarice Cliffe, as well as some excellent examples of the Welsh potteries at Swansea, Llanelly, Ewenny and Ynysmedwy. Dedicated collectors will find the Carmarthen Antiques & Collectors’ Fair a very happy hunting ground with specialist regular dealers in many fields including paintings, prints and maps, jewellery, silver, glass, clocks and watches, quilts and linen, sporting memorabilia, postcards, domestic bygones, country artefacts, toys and dolls, militaria and weapons, nautical items, commemorative pieces, Bakelite, vintage clothing and costume jewellery. Everything is under one roof and there is plentiful free parking on the Showground. A variety of catering is available on site. Admission is £3.50 for adults. There is no charge for accompanied children under 16.
With recent concerns about big names such as Wedgwood and Waterford, and the continuing popularity of early 20th century ceramics, attention is bound to be focused on good examples from these factories and the Carmarthen Fair is the place to look.
Equally, as ever, the market for lower priced goods has been steady and has provided a happy hunting ground for those of more modest means. To this end, last year’s new Towy venture, the summer Antiques & Flea Market, provided inexpensive stands, both inside and out, and plenty of bargains. There were lots of new dealers and visitors, and soon telephones were ringing, always with the same question, “When is the next one?” So, by popular demand 2009 will see two Antiques & Flea Markets, in April and July.
Somewhere in the middle of these markets there is a whole range of antiques at the lowest prices seen in many years. So, with interest rates at a level that does not encourage saving, this could be the year when antiques really are for everyone. Excellent period furniture adds character to any home and, with prices now sometimes considerably less than the new equivalent, will give years of pleasure as well as maintaining an intrinsic value long after chipboard and veneer has disintegrated. Certainly these investments could look more attractive than a share certificate!
For those uninitiated in the world of antiques and bygones, 2009 could be a really good moment to start. For those already hooked, 2009 could offer opportunities as yet unknown.
Already, regular dealers are acquiring fresh stock for the first Carmarthen Antiques Fair of the year on Saturday & Sunday, 7th & 8th March, including a really good collection of Llanelly Pottery fresh to the market, and one new exhibitor has already committed to bringing an artist studio collection of watercolour paintings of Welsh views. Bookings are coming in thick and fast and, while a few stalwarts will be retiring, their places are already being taken by new dealers to Carmarthen who will add new variety to the fair.
FAMILY AND HEIRLOOM REUNITED AT CARMARTHEN FAIR:
In the world of antiques, more often than not stories abound about family heirlooms being put up for sale. It therefore comes as a very pleasant surprise when a family item is discovered and reunited with its family after a very long time. When such an item is a 19th century woolwork sampler detailing the family tree the serendipity is even more welcome!
Thus, at the recent Carmarthen Antiques Fair, Mr John Miles of Swansea was reunited with his family sampler which had been missing for
some 80 years! What is even more amazing is that Mr Miles has been studying his family history and knew of the existence of the sampler, but not its whereabouts. The piece of needlework in question had, in fact, been on a long trip since leaving Wales. It was found by North Wales antiques dealer Clive Phillips at the NEC the previous week. As the sampler has the name of the farm and village (Llangefelach) worked in wool within it, he realised it came from near Carmarthen and so bought it to bring to the West Wales fair.
In true Welsh tradition, the trail hotted up was up when the sampler was spotted at the fair by a visitor who knew somebody who knew somebody called Miles from Llangefelach and so, after numerous Saturday evening telephone calls, Mr Miles was first through the door on Sunday morning and was absolutely delighted to purchase the sampler and take it home to where it belonged.
“This is a wonderful story”, enthused Carol Pugh of Towy Antiques Fairs, organisers of the fair. “Such samplers with so much family history worked into them are rare in themselves and the chances of it being reunited with a family after so long must be very slim”.
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